10Guest This is an AU. Plus, Itachi didn't have Kotoamatsukami in canon. I think the only three who could use Kotoamatsukami were Shisui, Obito, and Madara. But that's irrelevant. I have an idea. And it'll probably throw everyone for a loop.
Chapter 2: To be Lower than Trash
Obito Uchiha. The man was a legend, an example of a man who defied fate and chose his own path. As a genin, he was considered a disgrace of the Uchiha clan. He was often bullied by his own family. But under the tutelage of the legendary Minato Namikaze, he became one of the strongest shinobi in the village and is even rumored to be the next Hokage.
Unfortunately, after he gained fame, his family was set to arrange a marriage between Obito and a girl from the main family. Obito rebelled and swore to only marry one woman. The resulting fallout ended in Obito being disowned from the Uchiha clan. The elders wanted to take his Sharingan but after negotiations with the Sandaime, they settled with him being disowned and disinherited from his parents.
Still, that didn't stop the man from becoming a legend. And he went on to marry the love of his life, Rin Nohara, or now known as Rin Uchiha. The two have a daughter now, Izumi, in honor of his beloved cousin who was murdered by Itachi.
Naruto smiles, knowing that the man chosen to be his sensei is not only powerful but also good at heart as well. The fact that he's a former student of his father is also a bonus. As Naruto is debating all the possibilities of his team placement, Iruka continues naming the team assignments.
"Team 9 is still in circulation under Might Guy. Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akamichi. Jounin sensei: Asuma Sarutobi." The scarred chunin lowers his clipboard and addresses the graduating class. "It was an honor to have taught all of you. I look forward to hearing of your greatness as Konoha shinobi. Mizuki-sensei, is there anything you'd like to add?"
Mizuki turns to the class. "Umm... I know I wasn't the best teacher to all of you, but I want to say that I am proud to have taught what I could. I know that many of you will probably surpass me and hell, I may have taught a future Hokage in this class. But I am honored to have been a teacher to all of you and I hope you all lead Konoha to a great new era."
As the two chunin turn to leave, the class surprises them.
All of the students stand and bow deeply in respect for the two sensei and say in unison, "THANK YOU FOR TEACHING US, SENSEIS!" The two chunin pause, give a look to one another before nodding and return the bow.
"Thank you for being our students!"
•••
After the heartfelt departure of the chunin instructors, the newly minted shinobi chatter amongst themselves while they wait for their jounin leaders to arrive. Naruto, though, eyes Sasuke carefully. He noticed that during the closing ceremony, Sasuke didn't really acknowledge Iruka and Mizuki.
'He really is too distant from the rest of us.'
Naruto shakes his head and continues talking with his friends. After a few minutes, the door opens and the jounin instructors enter the room. The class settles down and gives them their full attention. One by one, each of the teams leave to meet their sensei where they were designated. Team 8 was told to meet Obito in a park near the Hokage's tower.
When Naruto, Shino, and Hinata arrive, Obito motions for them to take a seat in the grass under shady tree. Sitting in a circle, the cheerful Uchiha starts off the conversation.
"Now, with the exception of Naruto, I'm meeting you all for the first time. Naruto and I know each other but I'd like to get everyone's introductions. Preferably your names, your likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams for the future." Obito finishes and looks around, only to see that his team was looking at him expectantly.
Chuckling nervously, he says, "Guess I'll go first." He clears his throat. "My name is Obito Uchiha. I like the life I share with my wife and my daughter, training, having fun with my friends, sushi, and a lot of other stuff. I dislike perverts, rapists, traitors, and bigots. My hobbies are annoying Kakashi and spending time with my family. My dreams for the future are partially achieved but I suppose my other dream is to be Hokage. Though, I don't think I'll enjoy the time I'll have to spend away from my family. I also hope to have another child or two with my wife."
The genin look at their sensei with admiration and respect as well as a sense of awe. Obito was an open book, unlike the Uchiha of their graduating class. He held nothing back and spoke his mind. And every word was nothing less than believable.
Obito let his new students digest his words. He then said, "Okay, Shino-kun, would you like to go first?"
Shino doesn't give a verbal answer and simply nods. He then speaks in his monotone voice, "My name is Shino Aburame. I like insects, the wildernesses, my clan, and the few friends I have. I dislike people who judge others before knowing the truth about them. My hobbies are searching for new insects and learning about my clan and their techniques. My dream is to become a strong clan head and to find or breed a new, powerful species of insects for my clan and it's techniques."
Obito nods in affirmation. The Aburame is rational and calm, much like his clan. Obito turns towards Hinata and says, "Would you like to go next."
The Hyuga heiress nods and begins. "M-My name is Hinata Hyuga. I like my father, my sister, my friends, and..." she trails off before stealing a glance at Naruto. Unknown to her, Naruto notices this. She continues, "I dislike many of my clan's traditions. I also dislike perverts and r-rapists. My hobbies are flower pressing and training in my clan's techniques. My dream for the future is to unify my clan and change their traditions. I want to lead them to become stronger than ever. I also wish to have a large, loving family of my own."
Obito nods in appreciation. He notes that the Hyuga is kind hearted but possesses strong drive. His team was shaping up to be a force of it's own. He turns to Naruto. "Your turn, Naruto-kun."
Naruto nods and speaks, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like my friends, my village, Sandaime-jiji, and ramen. I dislike perverts, rapists, and traitors. My hobbies are training, spending time with my friends, and creating new seals. My dream is to become one of the greatest shinobi to ever live and live up to my parents' legacy."
Obito again nods in approval. He knows his team is going to do great things. They each have noble ideals and possess the talent and drive to complete their goals.
He chuckles, earning curious looks from his new students. "Well, I appreciate everyone's introduction, bit you aren't out of the woods yet," he says, cryptically. The genin look puzzled.
"W-What do you mean, sensei?" Hinata asks.
Obito looks at them before saying, "What I mean is that, tomorrow, I will be giving the three of you a test to prove that you're the right stuff for Konoha shinobi."
This catches everyone by surprise, though Shino remained stoic throughout the revelation. Hinata was visibly nervous while Naruto simply narrowed his eyes, already processing what he's been told.
Obito continues, "The test I will be giving you all has a very low success rate, about 33% overall. If you pass, we're all officially the new Team 8. But if you fail... well it can mean a number of things."
This confuses the newly minted genin. "Like what?" asks Naruto.
Obito grins deviously. "At best, you are put into the genin reserves... at worst, we drop you from the program and you never become a Konoha shinobi."
This information shocks the new genin immensely. The chips were down, the stakes were the highest they could be. Hinata was visibly shook. Shino did his best to hide his shock but Obito could see through it. Naruto though... Obito could see he was shaken at furst but he quickly regained his composure. He was trying to see things rationally and put things into perspective. Obito smirked slightly, proud that his sensei's son could handle his stress test.
Obito gets to his feet. "We meet at 8am at Training Ground 11. I suggest you avoid eating because you will hurl." With that last piece, he makes his exit in a standard shunshin.
That last bit solidified it for Naruto. 'He was trying to psyche us out.' The blonde rationalizes that it's all to make his team crack. Why tell fresh genin not to eat when they are being put under intense activity? The answer, Naruto realizes, is that Obito wants them to experience even more mental and physical fatigue. Obito wants to see if they turn on one another. Konoha is a team-centered military power. And if they can't make it as a team, they can't make it as Konoha shinobi.
The genin of Team 8 pick themselves up off of the grass. Naruto turns to his teammates and says, "Don't listen to Obito-sensei. You should eat a hardy meal before the test tomorrow."
Shino nods before responding, "I was thinking the same thing. Why? Because we should maximize our energy reserves before engaging in intense physical activity."
Naruto chuckles before saying, "Well said, Shino. It seems Obito-sensei is trying to turn us against each other during this test. Remember what Iruka-sensei said, this village is built on the bonds we share with each other. Let's work together tomorrow and kick Obito-sensei's ass!"
Shino and Hinata smile at Naruto's cheerful exuberance. The team turns to head into town before Naruto's stomach obnoxiously let's everyone know he's hungry. Blushing and rubbing his gut, he laughs and says, "Hahaha... anyone up for some Yakiniku Q?"
The new Team 8 heads towards the restaurant, talking amongst themselves and ready to take on anything Obito chooses to throw at them.
•••
Meanwhile...
...Team 7 still hasn't met their sensei. It doesn't make any sense! 2 and a half hours and the man has yet to show himself! Kiba and Sasuke look ready to tear each other's head off. Sakura is too nervous to intervene. She may love Sasuke but the pinkette wasn't dumb enough to bother him while he's angry.
Nobody says a word but the atmosphere is tense enough to fill up the silence. Kiba is the first to snap. He slams his fist on the desk in front of him, creating a small crater, and jumps to his feet, causing Sakura to flinch. "Dammit! Where the hell is this bastard! How is he a fucking jounin sensei when he's almost three hours late to meet his students?!"
Sakura doesn't look at Kiba and Sasuke refuses to acknowledge him. He scoffs at the lack of response of his teammates and sits back down in his seat. 'Great. I get the biggest Sasuke fangirl in the class and the granddaddy of all assholes himself. Fuck. Why me?'
Sasuke, meanwhile, makes very few if any outward responses. But internally, he is fuming. To him, nobody should be late to anything involving him. He has better things to do than to wait on others. The past 2 and a half hours could have been spent training to kill his brother. Instead, he's waiting in a classroom with two people he could live without ever seeing again. This day could scarcely get any worst for the Uchiha heir.
At exactly three hours since the arrival of the other jounin sensei, the door to the classroom opens, revealing a relatively tall man with gravity defying spiky silver hair. He had dark brown eyes that had a bored expression and his mouth and nose were covered by a black facemask. Sasuke did not fail to notice the short blade sheathed at the small of his back. He glanced over at the three genin who were glaring daggers at him. He let out a sigh.
"My first impression of you all is... nothing special. Meet me on the roof." The masked jounin disappeared in a swirl of wind and leaves.
Without saying anything to each other, the remaining members of Team 7 exit their seats and make their way to the roof. When they get there, they see their alleged jounin sensei leaning against the railing while reading an orange book.
When his team arrives, he closes his book and addresses them. "Since this is our first time meeting, I think an introduction would be appropriate. Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams. Simple. Who goes first?"
The three genin look at each other before Sakura speaks up. "Um, sensei, maybe you should go first."
Kakashi eyes the pink haired girl for a moment before releasing a sigh and starting. "My name is Kakashi Hatake. I have a lot of things I like, a few dislikes but you don't need to know them. Hobbies? Hmm... you're to young to know that. Dreams? Only when I sleep."
'We only learned his name...' was the collective thought of the three genin.
"Pinky, you first."
Sakura's anger spikes slightly when she heard that name but she quickly reeled it in before beginning her introduction. "My name is Sakura Haruno. I like my friends, my family, flowers, and..." she trails off as she looks towards Sasuke while blushing slightly. "...ahem. I dislike perverts, rapists, and people who judge me for coming from a civilian ninja family. My hobbies are reading, studying, spending time with my friends, shopping, and a little bit of light training. My dream is to become an outstanding kunoichi and having a large family."
Kakashi nods in approval. Despite her fangirlish appearance and behaviors, Sakura is actually a pretty grounded thinker who genuinely thinks of her career as a kunoichi. He could work with that.
"Up next, mutt boy." Kiba snarls at the nickname.
"My name is Kiba Inuzuka. I like Akamaru, my clan, and fighting. I dislike animal abusers. My hobbies are training, playing with Akamaru, and spending time with my friends. My dream is to be a strong clan head and marry a beautiful girl."
Kakashi shrugs at that. Nothing special there. "You next, Princess." That earned a scowl from Sasuke. If looks could kill, Kakashi would be kicking up daisies.
"Sasuke Uchiha. I don't like a lot but have plenty of things I hate. I don't have many hobbies but my dream... no, I am certain that I will revive my clan and kill a certain man."
Sasuke's declaration surprises his team. But Kakashi has other thoughts.
'Hokage-sama was right. I'll definitely need to keep an eye on him.'
Kakashi pushes off of the railing. "Well that was... colorful. Anyways, I got some news for you lovely bunch. You're not genin just yet."
This was met with the reaction he had wanted. Sakura and Kiba shouted, "WHAT?!" while Sasuke glared at Kakashi with a slight growl.
Kakashi simply chuckles their reactions off. "See, to officially become a genin team of Konoha, you lot need to pass a little test."
The group share a surprised look. "...What kind of test, sensei?" Sakura asks.
Wagging a finger at the group of genin, Kakashi responds, "Tsk tsk tsk, now that would spoiling. But I will say the test has about a 33% chance of success. And if you fail, you could be sent back to the academy. But if I feel like it, I can see to it that you never become a shinobi of this village."
The three gain a look of horror on their faces.
'No! No way in hell! I need to pass this test! It's the only way I can gain the power to kill him! I WILL pass this test, and these two pieces of trash will not slow me down!' The emotions rage through the mind of the Uchiha heir. His thirst for vengeance supersedes any thoughts of working with his teammates. In his mind, he will achieve his goal and nothing will get in his way.
Kakashi decides to leave since he got the reaction he'd wanted. He turns to walk toward the edge of the before before leaving one final message. "We meet at Training Ground 7 at 7am. Make sure you don't eat anything because you'll get sick."
Nervousness and uncertainty settle into the three genin of Team 7. Without saying a word to each other, they all leave and go their separate ways for the day.
•••
In the East end of Konoha's commerce district sits a famous little bar. Well, famous for Konoha shinobi. It only allows Konoha shinobi, active and retired, to enter and drinks are served here 20% cheaper than the market price. The food is good, the music is good, and the company is good. The Double Kunai, the famed watering hole for Konoha's armed forces.
Here we find the outcasted Uchiha awaiting his friend with his wife, Rin. Rin isn't as active as she used to be. Nevertheless, she is still a recognized jounin of the Leaf. Tonight, she decided to join her husband and meet with their close friend to discuss their initial impressions of their students. Rin and Obito make small talk as they nurse their drinks.
Eventually they are joined by Asuma, Gai, Anko Mitarashi, and the newly promoted jounin Kurenai Yuhi. It's obvious that Asuma has eyes for the gorgeous Kurenai but it appears the feeling isn't shared. The group shares stories and jokes amongst themselves as they await their friend, Kakashi. Around 20 minutes later they all welcome him as he joins their circle.
Obito is the first to speak to Kakashi. "So? How's you're brats, Kakashi?"
The man visibly smirks under his mask. "I'd be lucky to keep them from killing themselves, let alone making a team out of them." The collective jounin share a laugh.
"Sounds like us when we first met Minato-sensei?" Rin says. The three laugh and smile in memory of their legendary sensei.
"Yeah, but not like this group." Kakashi responds in seriousness.
"That bad, huh?" Anko asks. The beautiful kunoichi is downing plates of dango as she consumes her sake with equal gusto.
Obito speaks up, "Well, I for one got the perfect team." This earns looks of curiosity from his fellow jounin. "My kids are talented, smart, and work well together. Plus, Naruto-kun is incredibly observant. He most likely picked up the real meaning of the test already, and no doubt let his team know."
The jounin nod in understanding. Remembering the name, Kurenai asks, "Naruto is the one who kept turning down the early graduation, right? The one Sandaime-sama trained personally?"
Asuma chuckles, "Yeah, dad's crazy over him. The kid is good, could have made chunin or tokubetsu jounin by now. I've sparred with him a few times."
This surprises the other jounin. Anko laughs, "Damn, Kakashi! Obi's really got a leg up on you with his team!"
Rin laughs at her friend. "I'd say so too, Kakashi. Naruto-kun is a great shinobi already, even before he became a genin. You have your work cut out for you."
Kakashi sighs. "Honestly, I think Sakura and Kiba would do well together. But Itachi's little brother is the cause of the tension."
"No surprise there." Asuma takes his turn to speak. "Hell, the guy mind fucked his little brother for a week. The genjutsu he put him in was nasty. That guy's a real sick bastard if I ever seen one."
"Yeah..." Kakashi says solemnly.
Kurenai eyes Kakashi before saying. "You worked with Itachi, didn't you Kakashi?" Kakashi nods. "May I ask what it was like?" The group's attention turns to Kakashi. He never really spoke of his time working with Itachi. Both are considered prodigies and are often compared. A team with those two together had to have been formidable.
Kakashi goes to answer. "It was... something. Itachi was efficient and followed orders to the T. He was very loyal and never went against orders. It's what made it so shocking when I heard the news. A man like him slaughtering his family? I couldn't believe it at first." Kakashi still can't. Something doesn't add up. Actually, a lot of things don't add up about the infamous Uchiha massacre.
Rin notices Kakashi's deep thought and asks, "What are you thinking about, Kakashi?"
The man looks up at his best friend's wife, both of which are looking at him with concern. He answers, "It's just... to this day, so many things about the massacre don't add up." This grabs their attention once more.
"Like what, Kakashi?" asks Gai.
Kakashi recounts when he was there to help investigate the slaughter. "To kill that many people that quickly and efficiently, Itachi would have to be moving as fast, if not faster than Minato-sensei. We were notified mere moments after Itachi first attacked."
"...Because he started with the Uchiha police force." Kakashi nods as Gai continues. "Izumi-san was able to notify an Anbu squad that was returning from a mission shortly before she bled out." Obito remembers his beloved cousin sadly. She was one of the few who treated him like family and helped him when he was young.
Kakashi continues with his thought. "But by the time we got to the Uchiha clan compound, every other Uchiha was slain except for Sasuke. I checked the carnage myself, Itachi was good but the level of expertise with a blade that I saw couldn't have been just him. Some Uchiha were alerted and fought back but I saw that they were easily outmatched. Itachi couldn't have slain them all, not alone. Someone else was there. Someone even Itachi couldn't stand against."
That thought alone was able to shake the mood of those at the table. When Itachi fled Konoha, he was immediately listed as an S-rank nuke nin. He was one of the strongest shinobi Konoha ever produced so for him to not be able to fight the alleged true slayer of the Uchiha clan... just what the hell happened that night?
•••
The next morning, Naruto ran into Hinata on his way to Training Ground 11. The two headed there together, talking along the way. It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and cool weather. To his joy, Hinata made sure to eat before leaving for the test.
As they arrive, they could see Obito and Shino waiting for them. Near the training posts in the middle of the field, Naruto could see three bento boxes. He smirks, no doubt Obito brought them to tempt their stomachs. But Naruto trusts his team and they all made sure to eat before arriving.
As they near Shino and Obito, the jounin makes note of the fact as well. He smirks before saying, "No doubt it was Naruto who pointed out the fault in my 'advice'." Shino and Hinata nod, causing Obito to chuckle. "Well done. Konoha wants shinobi, not mindless drones. If advice is bad and you know better, follow your own instincts." Team 8's genin nod, memorizing their sensei's words.
Pulling out a timer, Obito sets it on the middle training post. He reaching into his pocket and pulls out two bells. Smirking, he notices their eyes as they watch the bells hanging from his waist. "So! You have until noon to grab these bells. Yes, I know there's only two and that's the point. It means that one of you will fail this test. And I don't need to repeat what happens if you fail. Now, GO!"
Team 8 immediately leaps into the vegetation behind them. Obito smirks. 'Well done. They've hidden themselves really well. I can sense Shino and Hinata... shit, I can't find Naruto-kun.'
In the bushes, Naruto, Hinata, and Shino can be seen huddling, formulating a plan. Once his teammates get the gist of it, they disperse, ready to put their plan into action.
In the field, Obito tenses, instinctively dodging an attack from Shino. 'A frontal attack from an Aburame?' Obito notes that Shino's taijutsu is rough and somewhat clumsy. He'll need to work with him on that. Shino is also directing his insects to try to catch Obito and drain his chakra. During the exchange Obito throws a few attacks that land but his overall goal isn't to incapacitate his students. He's merely gauging them to see their level and their ability work together.
He then moves to dodge attacks at his rear from Hinata. The veteran jounin dodges jyuken strikes and bug assaults, mindful that this is a trap laud out by his only blonde student. Obito notes that Hinata is making great use of her Byakugan and coordinating her attacks well with Shino. Obito begins to sweat a little, having to put forth some effort in making sure his tenketsu aren't hit while avoiding the combination of taijutsu and chakra-eating bugs.
Overall he's impressed by Shino and Hinata; they're leaving very few openings for their opponent while not getting in each other's way. 'Now, where is Naruto?'
On the backpedal, Obito senses a presence burst up from the ground behind him. He goes to launch an attack, only for his wrist to get caught and a seal slapped onto his arm. Immediately, he loses the ability to move and manipulate chakra, falling to the ground in a slump.
'Well shit,' he thinks to himself. 'I know I was holding back, but I didn't think this would happen!'
Smirking at getting the drop on his sensei, Naruto reaches down and takes the bells from Obito's waist. He tosses one each to Shino and Hinata. Naruto was briefly tempted to pull a cruel prank on Obito but resists the urge. He decides to simply remove the seal and allow Obito to move.
"Ugh, damn Naruto-kun! You got me good!" Obito exclaims, seating himself in a cross legged position. "But well done! All of you! I'm assuming that Naruto-kun figured out the meaning of the test and explained it to you both?" he asks Shino and Hinata.
"Shino figured it out too, Obito-sensei. Hinata-chan also knew there was a deeper meaning to the test as well." Naruto didn't want to take all of the credit. This was a team effort and without Shino and Hinata, he would have failed. His words of acknowledgment only served to strengthen the bonds between Team 8.
Obito smiled proudly. "Well done, all of you. Before we conclude here today, I want to share with you all something I learned when I was your age. And I continue to live by these words to this very day."
Team 8 listens intently as Obito pauses to ensure their attention. "Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are even lower than trash." Team 8's eyes widen at Obito's words. He smiles as he remembers the first time he uttered this phrase.
He decides to share the story with his new students. "Back when we were genin, Kakashi and I found ourselves in a very tough situation. It was during the third war and my wife, Rin, who was also a member of our Team 7, had gotten captured by enemy shinobi. For Kakashi, it was probably the worst situation he could have possibly been in... but that's a story only he could tell you.
"Basically it was 'Do we save our friend and compromise the mission or finish the mission and leave them to their fate?' I pray you three never know what having to make that decision is like." Obito looks the three of them in their eyes, reading their emotions before continuing. "Kakashi was ready to abandon Rin and finish the mission. But I refused. I'm not that kind of person." He laughs at the memory and says, "It's kinda funny. We fought over it and it's actually the first time I ever landed a clean punch on Kakashi. But eventually he declared, 'Those who break the rules are trash!' And without thinking, I shouted back, 'Then I'm a piece of trash and I'm proud of it! Because if people who break the rules are trash, then the ones who abandon their friends are even lower than that!'"
Naruto, Shino, and Hinata smile at their sensei's words. Obito stands and says, "So... being the reckless idiot I was, I charged into the enemy hideout. I fought hard but I was overwhelmed. I took solace in that I was dying for my friend. But that's when Kakashi showed up." He smiles, thinking how brave his friend was. "He was able to free us but we got overwhelmed by their numbers. But we had bought enough time for our sensei to arrive. He saved us."
The four Konoha shinobi head towards the village together. Obito continues, "The reason I tell you all this is so that you all understand how much I value teamwork. How much I value friendship. If there's one thing I hope you all learn from me, it's to have faith in your friends."
Naruto speaks up, "We promise, sensei." Obito looks at Naruto. "We promise to never abandon one another." Shino and Hinata nod and Obito smiles proudly.
'They're good kids. I'm lucky to have gotten them.' He frowns slightly. 'I wonder how Kakashi's team did.'
•••
About two hours after Team 8'a test...
The man still hasn't arrived.
Hungry bellies, tired minds, flaring tempers.
Team 7 was not looking good. And this is exactly why Kakashi Hatake was waiting for 3 hours before making his appearance. He's been watching them in the trees as they bickered, argued, and came near to blows. If it wasn't for Sakura, Kiba and Sasuke would have most definitely started a fight. The veteran shinobi shakes his head in disappointment.
He thinks back to his days on Team 7 under Minato Namikaze. Sure, he and Obito didn't see eye to eye at first, but there was no true animosity between them. More like a begrudging rivalry. There was a respect between them, but between Kiba and Sasuke, there is no such respect. The two hate each other. For now, Kiba hasn't said anything to antagonize Sasuke. He hopes it stays that way for now.
As the third hour rolls around, the feelings of hunger, fatigue from waking so early, and impatience have sunk deep into the genin of Team 7. Kakashi knows he'll most likely fail another team this year.
Sasuke refuses to wait any longer. This man has wasted enough of his time. 'How dare he call me here so early only to waste 3 hours that I could have spent training!' Fed up with these games that were so beneath him, he gets up to leave.
Sakura notices this and asks, "Sasuke-kun, where are you going?"
The boy turns are chilling glare to his pink haired 'teammate', and says, "I had no idea I was supposed to report to you when I wanted to do something." His icy tone sends a shiver up Sakura's spine. The girl very nearly curled in on herself.
Kiba took offense to Sasuke's treatment of Sakura and jumped to his feet, shouting, "You asshole! She only asked out of concern for you! You didn't need to talk to her like that, you arrogant bastard!"
Sasuke was in no mood to deal with the loud dog boy's disrespect. He growls and moves to attack Kiba. But before he could, a voice stops him.
"That's enough, Sasuke. I won't have you attacking your teammates."
The group looks to the source of the voice to find that it was their teacher. Sasuke scowls at the masked jounin. "You're late again! I won't tolerate you wasting my precious time that could be spent training!"
The man returns the glare and adds some of his killing intent. "You will do what I tell you, genin." Team 7 freezes completely. The killing intent causes Sasuke to relive some flashbacks from the night of the massacre. He falls to his knees, dry heaving. Kakashi continues, "Know your place, Sasuke. I'm not your classmates, I'm not a child like you. I am a veteran shinobi who's been a jounin longer than you've been alive. Remember that."
Kakashi's cold voice nearly causes Sasuke to relieve himself in his own trousers. He manages to eek out a nod and Kakashi reels in his killing intent. The masked man pulls out a timer and places it at the top of a training post. He then unseals two lunch boxes and takes the lid off of one, allowing the aroma to assault the noses of the the three hungry genin which causes their stomachs to respond.
He chuckles, having achieved the reactions he'd desired. Finally, he pulls out two bells and attaches them to his waist. The genin look at him puzzled. "You have until noon to take the bells from my waist. Whoever gets a bell by then passes this test. Whoever doesn't fails and will be tied to the post while the others eat. I suggest you get started."
The three genin look at each other in confusion. Sakura voices the source of the dilemma to their sensei. "Umm... Kakashi-sensei, there's only two bells, though."
Hearing this, Kakashi chuckles ominously, unnerving his students. "Oh, I know. That's the point." He lets those words hang in the air for a moment. Eye smiling, he continues, "Only two of you will be passing this test." The look of shock on the children's faces were priceless to Kakashi. "Don't be shocked for too long. You only have until noon. I suggest you all get going." Without further ado, the three genin disappear into the trees in different directions. Kakashi merely waits in the center of the field, pulling out the little orange book and reading without a care in the world.
•••
Kiba was the first to fail at grabbing the bells. He attempted a joint attack with Akamaru but they both were quickly overwhelmed. Kakashi then ambushed Sakura and tried to trap her in a genjutsu but she quickly broke out of it. He then engaged her in hand to hand combat but quickly incapacitated her. Sasuke was the last one to try and he did well by surprising Kakashi with an elemental jutsu but Kakashi snuffed him out by trapping his body underground and leaving his head exposed using Earth style: Double Suicide Decapitation jutsu.
The test ended with none of Team 7 gaining a bell. Kakashi eyes his students disappointedly. "It seems that none of you has what it takes to be shinobi of Konoha. None of you even came close to getting a bell from me."
Kiba growls, pissed that he was chosen to be tied to a post. "Hey, asshole! What do you expect?! You're a jounin! How the hell are we supposed to get a bell from you?! We just became genin this week!"
Kakashi chuckles. Kiba unknowingly figured out a piece of the problem. Kakashi responds, "That a problem for all of you. I told you what you needed to do." He sighs. "Sasuke and Sakura, you two can eat the lunches I provided. We'll try this test again when I return. But if you feed Kiba..." He gives the genin an icy glare. "... you won't like the consequences." He disappears in a standard shunshin, leaving the three genin at the training ground.
As Sasuke and Sakura begin to eat their lunch, Sakura begins to think about what just transpired. '2 bells, one of us fails no matter what... but there's no way a fresh genin can defeat an experienced jounin... wait, that's it!'
As Sakura was discovering the real meaning of Kakashi's test, Kiba's stomach growls so loudly, it breaks her train of thought. Sakura looks up at Kiba and sees the look of discomfort on his face. Akamaru is also whimpering at his partner's distress. Sakura can't help but feel bad for Kiba. He didn't do any better or wose than she did but he still was chosen to be punished.
Looking around carefully for any sign of Kakashi, she decides to share her food with her restrained teammate. She grabs some food with her chopsticks and holds it up to Kiba to eat. Kiba looks at her in confusion.
"But Sakura," he whispers, "Kakashi told you that I can't eat! If I do, you'll get in trouble!"
Sakura silences him, "Hush, dummy! He's not here right now! Plus you'll need your strength!" She looks at Sasuke, addressing him as well as Kiba. "We can't beat him alone." Sasuke pauses and looks at Sakura, hearing her words. He felt they were aimed at him, and wanted yo refute her, but he knew he couldn't. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it.
To their surprise, he doesn't but back at Sakura. He actually offered his food as well. "She's right," he says. "You'll need your strength... we all do. We need a plan while we're at it." Sakura and Kiba smile and nod. Things were starting to come together.
As Kiba began to eat the food Sakura and Sasuke share, Kakashi appeared and thundered towards them. "YOU THREE!" Sasuke and Sakura jump to their feet, ready to defend themselves. "I TOLD YOU KIBA WAS NOT TO EAT! YOU DARE TO DEFY MY ORDERS?!"
Sasuke was about to speak but Sakura spoke up first. "Kiba is our teammate and our friend! If he suffers, we all do!" Hearing Sakura's words, Sasuke chooses not to say anything, instead choosing to keep his eyes on Kakashi.
"IS THAT SO?!" Kakashi booms. "WELL IF THAT'S THE CASE... you pass!"
The three genin stare at Kakashi speechlessly. Walking over to Kiba, he continues, "I was actually watching you three from the forest. Well done, Sakura, you were the only one to figure out the true meaning of this test."
Kiba stares in confusion. "True meaning? What do you mean, sensei?"
Kakashi cuts the ropes, releasing Kiba. He answers, "This test was to meant to explore the capacity you three have to work as a team. If you couldn't do it, you three would have been put in the genin reserves, or at the worst, banned from the shinobi program." Kakashi leads the three to the Konoha Memorial Stone.
Turning to his genin team, he asks, "Do the three of you know what this stone is?"
Sakura answers, "That's the Memorial Stone, sensei. All Konoha shinobi who lost their lives nobly protecting the village has their name engraved there."
Kakashi nods. "That's correct. Many times throughout my career, I thought I'd have my name carved here. I'm lucky that it hasn't come to that yet." He turns to them, saying, "Early in my shinobi career, a good friend of mine taught me something. 'Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are even lower than trash.'"
Kakashi studies the expressions on the genin's faces. His eyes fall to Sasuke, continuing, "When I started as a shinobi, I was followed by a heavy darkness. I was lost, shouldering a burden that I shouldn't have." He notes that Sasuke's eyes widen slightly. "If I had continued down that path, I don't know where I'd be, most likely I'd have died alone in the woods somewhere."
He looks to all three of them. "And that's because I would have happily abandoned my friends to complete some mission. I would have been lower than trash." The revelation surprises his students. Though the man was a mystery, they hadn't expected him to ever be so willing to abandon a comrade. "But those words opened my eyes. And I realized that I shouldn't shoulder a burden alone. You three are a team. You share the workload, you carry out a plan together, you shoulder each other's burdens."
He locks eyes with each of them before finishing, "And above all, even if you have to break the rules for each other, you never become lower than trash."
Kakashi turns to leave. "Congratulations on becoming the official Team 7. We meet here for our first mission tomorrow at 9." The masked jounin disappears in a shunshin, having finished imparting his lesson.
Kiba, Sasuke, and Sakura look at each other. Kakashi's words had left a lasting impact on the three.
Noticing the uncomfortable silence, Sakura decides to break the tension. "The test was pretty tiring. How about we go get something to eat and get to know each other a bit better?"
Kiba gives his trademark feral grin. "Sure! I'm down for that!"
Sasuke, still eyeing the ground and pondering Kakashi's words, didn't notice the conversation between Sakura and Kiba. 'Shouldering my burdens...'
"Sasuke?"
He looks up to see that it was Sakura who meant to get his attention. "What?" he answers.
Sakura fidgets, slightly nervous. "Kiba and I are going to get something to eat. Would you like to come with us?"
'A meal with them?' Sasuke had almost forgotten what it felt like to eat with others. Since the massacre of his clan, ever meal had been alone.
"Come on, dude, I know you're hungry after all that crap Kakashi put us through! Besides, we should celebrate becoming a team!" Sasuke looks at Kiba. He didn't like the boy at all but maybe he had a point.
'A team...' Sasuke smirks. "Fine. I'll go."
The other two genin of Team 7 smile at his response. Kiba adds, "Hell yeah! Maybe you ain't so bad after all, Uchiha!"
As the three make their way back to the village, Sasuke looks up at the sky, lost in his thoughts. 'A team... maybe that's how I'll find the strength to face you, brother.'
•••TBC•••
A/N I ran out of space in the description to mention that my story is an AU. There's actually going to be a lot of major changes but I hope you all enjoy the story. In this one, I'm not really focussed on the pairings as much as I am the story and the characters. I have this old idea for Sasuke that I want to try that I'm sure you'll all love... or hate.
Anyways, be sure to leave a response! I want to hear what you all think of the story!
WYW out!